Saturday, November 29, 2014

Roadrange: Edgewater Golf Range, Edgewater NJ

Located across the Hudson River on the New Jersey side, the Edgewater Golf Range is a place I've passed by quite a few times over the years. The sign isn't much, in fact you cannot even see it from the street.

A minor quibble perhaps, for the giant netted enclosure out back is a familiar enough sight, a beacon to golfers for miles around.

The counter guy was a bit surly. (What did I do?) He collected the money and then grunted and pointed towards the stockpile.

Not getting the friendliest vibe so far.

A joyless, industrial, workmanlike atmosphere greets us here. Call me a pollyanna, but I still think that beating range balls should be fun.

The range overlooks Harlem and the Hudson River, making this place a sort of bizarro-world Chelsea Piers. See how the other half hits.

Not only is it exceptionally uninspiring and nondescript, this weirdly-shaped, irregular trapezoidal hitting area is rather puny. It's maybe 200 yards to the corner on the right, and a sad 150 to the left side. The surface, an unintentional hybrid of astroturf and weeds.

If you want to get an idea of your distances, you'll have to hit towards the boundary on the right.

With balls such as these though, you are better off not paying attention to distances.

For some weird reason the mats here are double-stacked. I am about to find out why.

You can see it here: the ground slopes downward from the hitting area to the range. Thanks to erosion, the concrete surface of the hitting bays has too become downsloped. Standing on the mat, you can easily feel gravity tugging you towards the range--I believe the double-stacking is meant to alleviate the problem.

Having customers hit off a downslope is probably not the best idea for a driving range, businesswise. Downslopes are a normal part of the game, but when a practice tee is set up in a way that promotes chunky contact and a low, short ball flight, you are going to have a lot of golfers walking off the property feeling crummy about their swing and by extension the whole stupid game. When I get around to opening the Legitimategolf practice joint, we'll put you up on a nice slight upslope, help you launch those balls airborne.

Remember when I went to Vermont and happened upon one of the greatest driving ranges on earth? Well this place is kind of the polar opposite. Whatever. Can't have the highs without the lows. It's not a total bust--the Mitsuwa Japanese Supermarket/Superstore, which you can see in the last photo, sits next door and is always a fun destination. Try the ramen noodles in the food court, they are top notch.

When this place opened ten or a dozen years ago, the citizens on the other side of the river were all twisted out of shape because of the lighting that glaringly intruded on their serene zillion dollar views...of New Jersey...Obviously the owners of the range gave the complaints the Tony Soprano sneering smirk and the lights continue to beckon golfers....

Legit, how are you getting across the river to Edgewater? Ferry or do you drive or take a bus? How much is the fare? And is the price for a bucket Jersey cheap enough to justify the cost of getting to the range if you are I the City...Curious how the economics work out given the other choices of ranges - Randalls and Chelsea Piers...

Automobile! I think several options exist to get there. The next-door Japanese supermarket is apparently such a destination that they offer a shuttle bus from Manhattan. However, they kindly ask that passengers not exploit the shuttle as a cheap means of getting over the bridge. Dang it. Bucket prices, they are only slightly less than Manhattan prices, still not a great deal. Especially when you factor in the GW bridge toll, which is like a gut-punching $13 these days. And obviously the shittiness of the facility.

Being a Golf player, you know the aim of the game. The aim is to get the ball into the hole, in the least number of shots possible. Right? Well, it's not that simple...unless you have a golf range finder. Therefore, you'd better know about the use of Golf range finders. This article presents you good information to select the best golf range finder.

Islewwod Golf Range and Learning Center is located in Fresno, CA right on the San Joaquin River. Surrounding golfers practicing their swing is some of the most natural beauty in the area. Peaceful and tranquil, Islewood provides the best ambiance for grooving your swing and getting better.